Scotch Beef Club, "edinburgh"

Boasting one of the best addresses in town and with a tartan-trousered doorman waiting to greet you as you arrive, this giant Victorian building leaves a lasting impression on its guests and visitors. The spacious bedrooms and individually designed…

Perfectly framed by Ondine’s windows, a couple flirt at a bus stop on George IV Bridge. Their bus arrives and they disappear, off to continue their story somewhere else. Could they, should they have come in for dinner? Ondine feels like one of those…

When you emerge as the offshoot of a fairly flawless Michelin-starred restaurant there is only one way to avoid playing second fiddle. And that is, of course, to win your own star, which is exactly what Castle Terrace did in 2011, less than a year after…

It’s more than that Michelin star. Restaurant Martin Wishart has a certain caché. It is a place to propose, to woo, to seal the deal. If it’s on the expense account, lucky you. If not, buy the ticket, take the ride: choose a tasting menu, with…

Of course, you can melt the credit card with the tasting or seasonal menus at this ultra-slick Leith restaurant, but Tom Kitchin has also brought his Michelin-starred brand of fine dining to a refreshingly wide audience of food lovers. A set lunch menu…

From the moment you enter Number One there is little doubt that every aspect of this operation is a very classy affair. The surroundings are stylish and the welcome is warm. This is exactly what you would expect from Michelin-starred fine dining, from…

For exactly a decade, First Coast has been an oasis of tasteful cheer in the relatively under-served area of Dalry. Prices have remained almost static for years, with the result that now they offer eye-poppingly good value for thoughtful, reliably good…

To begin at the end – and a mighty fine end indeed, distinguished by desserts as delightful on the eye as the spoon. A vibrant gingerbread mousse contrasts with sweet, crunchy ‘rocks’ of honeycomb, a thing of true beauty. Then nougat parfait, delicately…

Given its prime location tucked beneath the castle at the heart of the cobbled tourist warren of the Old Town, the Grain Store could be forgiven for just catering to jolly groups, first-time visitors and couples more interested in romance than cuisine.

Nestled in the grand streets of the West End, The Bonham is a boutique hotel located in an imposing row of Victorian townhouses. The dining room is a stylish and quiet setting, although the urban style that the hotel is striving for can sometimes feel…

Karen Higgins is that rare thing among Edinburgh restaurants: a female chef in charge of her own kitchen. It’s her food that attempts to brighten the rather gloomy dining room of this Comely Bank hotel. Take a squint at the short menu and it’s all…

Fish just tastes better when you eat it by water – a fact The Shore’s branch of Fishers has made the most of for over 20 years. This is a classic bistro: busy, buzzy, not particularly trend-led (and all the better for it). It’s hard to think of an…

There’s a certain sense of energy and enthusiasm about the Mercat Bar. Staff show impeccable manners, hosting this vibrant venue with an endearing, youthful charm. The pub part of Mercat is on ground level, decked out with luxurious leather sofas and…

Popular with tourists, shoppers and business people, the ‘up the toon’ branch of Fishers aims to offer something for everyone and mostly succeeds. The menu is a game of two halves: Fishers classics focus on comfort food like fish-cakes, fish and chips…

With its arrangements of thistles and heather, seats covered in tweed and menu full of the foods typically associated with Scotland it is not hard to see why this basement restaurant is popular with well-heeled tourists. The style is country lodge, with…

Kyloe (meaning ‘cattle’) is looking to fill a niche in the Edinburgh restaurant scene, and that niche is meat, meat, meat. Cows are everywhere – the statue outside, the paintings on the wall, the cowhide furniture and the board that displays all the raw…

The Atholl Dining Room was originally exclusively for guests at the five-star Howard Hotel in the New Town, and with only fourteen covers, the tables and butler service are still primarily allocated to those who are staying the night. There is clearly…